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A review by weirdtea
A Small Town: A Novel of Crime by Thomas Perry
2.0
I gave this a 2 because it really is...okay (IMO).
It is fast and mostly easy to read (a few awkward transitions and POV shifts, aside). I was entertained often enough—especially since I’m willing to suspend my disbelief at a lot of significant implausibility.
The style is way more “tell” than “show.” That choice made it easier to get through, actually. I don’t want to read the details of all the crimes that occurred in the town. I didn’t want another grimdark revenge tale like Joe Abercrombie’s Best Served Cold.
What it hurt was my connection to the characters and investment in some of the plot. I was never very worried about the main character. She was intriguing but not fleshed out.
Still, I kept reading. That’s a good sign. I thought one set piece was pretty cool and I thought it would be a satisfying finish.
And then I approached the end.
The last few chapters (or maybe the last plot arc) took a downturn and lost me. A couple cheesy sex scenes with no real relevance, a rushed ending, and a sketchy epilogue all landed flat.
It is fast and mostly easy to read (a few awkward transitions and POV shifts, aside). I was entertained often enough—especially since I’m willing to suspend my disbelief at a lot of significant implausibility.
The style is way more “tell” than “show.” That choice made it easier to get through, actually. I don’t want to read the details of all the crimes that occurred in the town. I didn’t want another grimdark revenge tale like Joe Abercrombie’s Best Served Cold.
What it hurt was my connection to the characters and investment in some of the plot. I was never very worried about the main character. She was intriguing but not fleshed out.
Still, I kept reading. That’s a good sign. I thought one set piece was pretty cool and I thought it would be a satisfying finish.
And then I approached the end.
The last few chapters (or maybe the last plot arc) took a downturn and lost me. A couple cheesy sex scenes with no real relevance, a rushed ending, and a sketchy epilogue all landed flat.